Awakened Obsession
by Greg the Lucario
Summary: Neiman is a man obsessed, but when his obsession becomes stark reality, he must work to uncover a devious scheme. Contains scenes of mild violence, strong language and sexual references.
1. Chapter 1

**Awakened Obsession**

"… I hope you've learned a lot about Normal types and subtypes, and that you-…" the voice of the documentary presenter cut off as I began to rewind the video. 'Studying Normal Nature' is a documentary on Normal types, and every day I watch it over and over… why? To feed my obsession. The video reached it's beginning again, and I pressed play, strangely eager to watch what I had already seen countless times, instinctively pressing the fast-forwards button, then waiting exactly fifteen-and-a-half seconds before instinct caused my to press play again. I couldn't help but stare in wonder as the video had reached the short, minute-long period that I loved… the sole reason I even bought the entire thing.

"These marvellous beasts are called Lopunny…" that opening line, to me, was both a holy mantra and a revolting insult… who could call such a creature a 'beast'? Who could possibly label something so beautiful with such a mundane and derogatory term? But, as per usual, the video carried on, and I watched the incredible beings on screen going about their daily lives, admiring their every action, no matter how simple or meaningless. Such was my desire, my need, my obsession… with Lopunny kind.

Abruptly, my chain of thought was disturbed as my brother knocked on the door… I quickly turned the TV off and hid the video case before calmly saying "what is it?" He opened the door, closing it behind him… I could see he was a little suspicious, he knew full well of my obsession, but not that I watched the same documentary over and over again on an outdated VCR.

"Neil, you were the last one to borrow my craft-knife, where the hell is it?" he muttered with his usual contempt for things in general. He was right though, I had recently borrowed the knife in an attempt to cut my hair… to look more like those I loved so… but naturally, I was talked out of it by my mother.

"Mark, you know how I like to be called by my full name, please use it…" I said, giving him a casual glare… he snorted and carried on rooting about in my room. Apparently, 'Neiman' was a rubbish name by his reckoning, so he insisted on calling me 'Neil', along with the rest of my family, including my mother who originally chose the name 'Neiman' anyway, which to me smacks of hypocrisy. He found the item he was searching for, after knocking over my cherished pile of Lopunny-related scrap-books, and then left. I sighed as I cleared up after his mess, then turned off the mains switch for my TV. It was late morning and I had little to do, so as per usual I logged on to my computer and began to sift through my daily check-ups and notices.

However, something caught my eye… in my alerts panel for my own website, someone had left a message that said the following: "Understand your passion", and below it were the numbers "145, -097, 000… 23:00" I tried to trace the message, but all I could discover was that it was sent by someone called 'wish maker', but his account was already deleted. I had no idea who this person was or what they wanted, but curiosity forced me to investigate, and so I sent out an email to each and every one of my contacts to see if they knew anything. After finishing, I looked outside; it was a relatively cloudy day, and the air was as still as a mountain… I had to do something interesting or else I'd only slip back to watching the documentary for the thousandth time… I came downstairs with my mind set on an early lunch, hopefully I could conjure some idea for the day whilst I was eating. I looked inside the fridge, and found the components to my usual afternoon meal: microwave olive and cheese sandwich… most people rankled at my unusual taste… but then again, most people were too busy being freaked out by my Lopunny obsession to care. after finishing that, I still had no ideas, and so I returned to the PC upstairs, and was greeted with a big surprise.

Normally, my contacts reply at a rate that can only be described as sluggish, but since I had sent the chain email, all but one had responded! Most of them were clueless, however one of them; a good friend of mine named Josiah, had pointed out that "the numbers are the co-ordinates for the bridge south of town, and it's a time… eleven in the evening" a smile played across my lips… success! Now I knew what this message was about!… however as I got up out of the chair, I was assailed by a veritable wall of doubt. For instance, what if it was a joke? Perhaps it was something far more sinister?… but all the same, the words 'Understand your passion' seemed very appealing… perhaps it was someone who felt the same as me? I couldn't pass up this opportunity, that was for sure.

I sent an email to Josiah asking him if he'd like to come along with me to the location, and it took him mere moments to reply with a yes, although he seemed a little suspicious all the same. I walked slowly about my room, drumming my fingers on random surfaces… what if I had finally found somebody who was obsessed like I am? It was all a lot to think about, but I could only hope that this would end well. Just to make absolutely sure everything was as I thought, I checked over the emails and messages again… as I looked at the message from 'Wish Maker', I felt a shiver run down my spine, probably excitement, although I was also a little unnerved too. "Come on, nothing to be afraid of… Josiah is much bigger than you and you can run much faster!" I reassured myself, as I cracked open the case to one of my large collection of video games. Safe to say, I qualified as a 'nerd'; weedy frame, pallid complexion, interest in computers, very unsuccessful interactions with girls… but I wasn't as bad as some.

A few hours of game-play, dinner, and dog-walking later, it was nearly ten in the evening, and I was ready to begin the hunt for answers. I called up Josiah, trying to hide my excitement and anxiety behind a monotone voice. "Hey, J, it's time… ready to find out who Wish Maker is?"

"Are you sure about this? I mean, if you get kidnapped, I'm not gonna head up the inquiry" he said, in his deep, grating voice.

"Oh, I'm so charmed… anyhow, let's get this show on the road, shall we? I'll meet you outside the closed-down mart, and we'll head south from there"

"Yeah, whatever… don't expect too much though, it's probably a joke" he said, before hanging up. I donned my black leather trench-coat and my grey suede shoes… if this was going to be important, I'd best dress for the occasion. I headed down stairs, and ran directly into my mother… what was I going to say? I had to lie, otherwise my efforts would never get off the ground.

"Where are you going, Neil?" she asked, immediately suspicious…

I sighed, then said "so I'm not even allowed to go round Josiah's house now?" she immediately stood out the way… it was rather callous of me, using her own good nature to trick her, but I felt I should give her an emotional safety net in case something went wrong… "… we're going to go down to the south bridge, but I'm not sure if I can get a lift back… if I'm not back by one in the morning, can you come and pick me up?"

She sighed reluctantly and nodded "okay then, dear…" before heading into another room. As the feelings of guilt subsided, I headed out and down the street towards the old mart, nervously fumbling the lining of my coat's pocket. Josiah was far more plainly dressed than me, sporting a simple shirt and slacks, and wearing his trademark green cap which clashed horribly with his pale brown beard and long hair… he was a full three years older than me at 20.

"Are you ready?" I said, grinning… he rolled his eyes.

"WHAT did I say to you? I said yes! Let's get a move on already, I bet you five pounds this will be pointless!"

I patted his back as we began to walk south "okay then, you're on… shake on it" I pestered, holding out my hand… he merely pushed it away and kept on walking. "Hey, man, don't tell me the project is still bugging you"

He grumbled, kicking a can in his way "I got no ideas, no nothin'… only reason I'm coming here with you is that it might give me something good to write about" he looked at me intently "if you can give me something to write about, I'll double that bet" The bridge was now right in front of us… using a lesson I had learned from watching too many gangster movies, I predicted that 'Wish Maker' would likely be underneath the bridge, and so we headed around and down to the bank of the river. Surely enough, we were met by the silhouette of a woman wearing what was probably a suit and an office skirt. "I'm impressed, Neiman, I didn't think you turn up on the very same day I sent that message…" I folded my arms and attempted to look like I was in control of the scene.

"If you'd be so kind as to cut to the chase, 'Wish Maker', I'd like to know what you meant" I said…

She replied in a slightly humoured voice "well… where can I begin?… it's high time you took your obsession to the next level…" Josiah went to ask something, but I held my hand out to keep him silent whilst 'Wish Maker' carried on speaking. "I work for a group of people who are… very interested in achieving certain goals… and I'd like you to help us help you… understand?"

I knew she was trying to hide something, and there was a chance she was just plain crazy, but I still played along. "How do you know about me, and why do you care?" I said, trying to get a solid answer.

"Well, you make it clear enough to everyone that your obsessed, but we believe someone like you is exactly what we need in our next step, someone who would be more willing" immediately, I was hooked… a group of people somewhere want to do something important, and it involved me and Lopunny.

"Sounds good to me!… so, what exactly do you want me to do?" I asked, grinning… Josiah gave me a dark look that showed he clearly didn't think it was a good idea.

"It's difficult to explain straight off, so bare with me" she said, a hint of excitement building in her voice. Immediately, I began to have second thoughts… some thing was wrong, and considering we were under a bridge at near-enough midnight speaking to a suspicious woman, just about anything could go wrong.

I took a step back "you know… perhaps… perhaps you should come to my place tomorrow, and we can talk about this more?" She ignored me, taking a step closer… I hadn't realised it up until now, but she has slowly manoeuvred around so that the river was directly behind me, and I had no way to escape… something was definitely wrong!

"You poor deluded boy… now you've started questioning me, the fairytale has ended… we aren't choosing you because we think you can help us under your own effort… we chose you because of sheer irony, now it's high time you lived your stupid obsession!" she said in an almost feral tone, lunging forwards.

"No! no shit, I…" was all I managed to say before I felt a sharp, stinging pain in my thigh… she had just jabbed me with a hypodermic needle, and I could feel some foreign substance invade my body. I looked up, only to see her staring back at me with maniacal glee.

"Now, now the test begins!"


	2. Chapter 2

Awakened Obsession Chapter 2

As I stood there, I felt a cold sweat break out over my body… Josiah looked as if he was about to attack the stranger, but she pulled a black pistol and sneered "I'm in control of the situation, pal!" he backed off, not prepared to risk his life.

"What… what was that, a knockout shot?" I spluttered, expecting to lose consciousness imminently as the strange substance began to burn in my veins.

"You still don't get it? Goddamn, I thought I had dropped enough hints already, you thick bastard!" she said, her voice showing no signs of care or compassion "you'll know soon enough, just wait and see" shortly before she even finished the sentence, I felt weak at the knees, and I fell forwards. Immediately, my arms began to twitch, and to my horror, they began to retract, becoming much smaller. But it wasn't just the arms, my legs and torso soon followed, and in a matter of mere seconds I had been reduced to near-infant-like proportions. Josiah watched in horror, a direct contrast to the stranger, who was actually taking notes on what was happening. I went to protest, but I could only call out in pain as I felt the bones in my hands re-arranging and reforming into paws, lacking opposable thumbs. My feet followed suit, and I felt the entirety of my legs re-forming into a more animalistic shape with every crack and squelch. My hearing, sight, and most my other senses temporarily ceased to function has my entire head re-formed and my normal hair fell out.

I felt a coat of fine fur sprouting from my entire body, and the process came to a close as I snapped my now beady eyes open. As the aches and pains from the excruciating experience faded, it dawned on me just what had happened. The stranger was right when she said it was ironic, for she had just turned me into the very item of my obsession: a Lopunny.

The cruel gaze of the woman focused on me, and she muttered "subject has been successfully transmuted without any obvious ill effects… proceeding to analyse intangible alterations" she waved her hand in front of my face "subject retains normal eyesight…" she then leant in closer "speak" I backed away a little more, struggling to stay balanced on my stubby little legs… she growled "Speak!" and struck me across the face with the back of her hand

I coughed, then managed "hur… hurts… stop it, punny!" I didn't intend to say 'punny' at the end of the sentence, but natural compulsion forced me to.

She wrote some more down, murmuring "Subject's oral communication is mostly intact… the recipe may need some work still" she then stood up and sighed "I'm done with you, ya little freak"

Just when I thought it was all over, she proceeded to kick me squarely in the chest… were this done to any human, it would probably cause only minor discomfort, but considering what I now was, I was sent flying backwards into the river. Considering how winded I was, I was unable to catch a breath before falling into the water, and so I desperately tried to resurface for air. For a short while I thrashed madly in the water, desperately trying to reach the surface, I could feel my entire body suffering, crying out for air. Then, just as I was about to give up hope, a muscular, hairy arm thrust towards me and lifted me to the surface… Josiah had came to my rescue!

I gasped, in the sheer relief that I was breathing again, I actually forgot what I had become for a few seconds. "Oh you shittin' me?" he said, his voice high with shock "this is unreal, man… how the heck did she do that… a… are you okay, Neiman… talk to me!"

Reaching out with one of my short arms, I touched his upper chest "thank… thank you, punny" his face was relieved, but I could tell he was furious as well as being more than a little scared too. "Where… where… did the lady go?" I asked, and he grumbled "that crazy bitch up and ran after she kicked you, she's gone… but man, do you realise what just happened?"

I nodded gingerly "yes, it's… hard to believe… but why, punny?"

He shook his head "I have no idea… I don't think she'll be troubling us any more, but… but I have no idea what to do!" he said, setting me down. I began to take my first true steps in my new form… being only about three foot tall, everything seemed to tower over me. My emotions were conflicting like never before, I was fearful of what had just happened, confused as well, and yet there was a small part of me, the obsessed part, which was rejoicing.

"Jo… Josiah" I said, a little unnerve at how high-strung my voice was now "I need to rest, perhaps we could…" my voice trailed off as I heard the sound of a car parking nearby… it was already one in the morning, and my mother was here to collect me!

Josiah looked around, then back at me in a blind panic "shit!, what do we do!?!… if she sees you like this!" I screwed my eyes shut and whimpered at the dilemma I was in; if I told her the truth, anything could happen, but if I lied and pretended I was just another Pokemon, Josiah would likely be blamed for my 'disappearance'. I could feel a tear on my face as I came to my decision… this time, no more lies. "I… I'll tell her the truth, she needs to know, punny" Josiah sighed, and nodded slowly "probably for the best… alright, let's go" he picked me up, and after a short pause, walked over to my mother's car.

The window slid down, and I looked at my mothers face… even though it was inevitable, my heart sank as I saw her look back at me as if I were a complete stranger. "Josiah, we already have enough pets… now tell Neiman it's his time to come home" she said plainly, not knowing the ugly truth.

Josiah leaned in closer, and said to her "Missus Neiman's ma… it's not easy to break this to you, but please, please understand" she gave him a sceptical look, suspecting some kind of joke… I knew now was my time to intervene.

"M… mum… I… I" I said, the emotions making it hard to speak with out bursting into tears.

For a brief second, she smirked and looked away, then, visibly, a chill ran down her spine and her hair began to stand on end. "But, how!?!… HOW DID THIS HAPPEN!?!" she demanded, looking at me with a mix of pity and horror.

I put my hand… or paw, on her shoulder and said "puh… please… calm down, please, punny!" Josiah handed me to her, and she placed me on the passenger seat… before he could say anything more, she simply wound up the window and began driving, leaving him behind. After the now Herculean effort I had to put into attaching the seat-belt, I looked up at her… her expression was one of shock, but luckily she still had the co-ordination to drive. "Mum… I'm sorry, but there was this lady, and she jabbed me with a needle, and… and then this… and she kicked me into the lake, punny!"

My mother spoke in a quiet voice, as she always did when she was shocked or upset, or both "Neiman… I'm lost for words, I… are you alright? Please tell me your okay!"

I nodded "I feel fine, all things considered, punny" I had heard of things like this happening before, human becoming Pokemon, but it had always been an urban myth, or just another news story from some far-off country… it came as a shock to me, and clearly to everyone else that it had just happened. "Don't be scared, punny" I said, putting my paw on her thigh…

She sighed "I suppose your happy with this… but, it's a big shock to us all, and it will take some getting used to… my son… a Pokemon…" she trailed off into silence. I looked at the window… at my reflection in the glass, it was sobering to have a Lopunny staring back at me… my transformation was complete in almost every sense, the only thing that would set me apart from the average specimen was the fact that my hair was less curly, and more straight. I sighed, steaming up the glass… so this was it huh? I was a Lopunny now… on the plus side, I knew everything I needed to about my species, and I was still a sentient individual capable of speech and higher thought. Needless to say, things were going to be very different now…

I sat there, thinking about what I was going to do… should I try to live my life as normally, and as human as I possibly can? Or should I embrace my new form and pledge myself to somebody else? The thought of being caught in a ball and used to fight was chilling to me now, so I quickly decided on the former. I looked down at myself… my small brown body was a lot more plump and round than before, and it almost seemed like I had put on a little weight, despite the fact that I was actually half my original size, and probably half my original weight too.

My ears were certainly a new feature… where as before I had long hair that covered an unusually small pair of ears, I now had massive flaps which reached all the way down to my hips. I reached behind myself and felt my tail… certainly, with all of these new features, clothes would be a thing of the past. The thought of strutting about in the nude made me feel a little embarrassed, despite the fact that I had the fur to cover up.

"What do you think Dad will say, punny?" I asked…

My mother forced a smile and said sarcastically "he'll probably wonder what happened to the rough, rugged son he once had" I chuckled… my father had always thought I was a bit too weedy and effeminate for my own good, he'd probably have a fit when he found out what had happened to me.

I looked at my reflection again, and said quietly to myself "Neiman… Neiman the Lopunny" before sighing again.

When we got home, my mother opened the door for me, and I carefully got out… I had now got to grips with my new body, and I walked back into the house without falling over. Luckily, my father was still on a working holiday, and my brother was out at a friends house, so I could relax a little without having to explain myself again. I went up to the stairs and began to climb… normally, when you 'climb' the stairs you actually walk up them… but what I had to do now was closer to climbing than it was to walking by any stretch of the imagination. When I got to the top, I staggered towards my room… all the excitement had thoroughly worn me out, and that last climb was the icing on the metaphorical cake. I clambered into my now seemingly massive bed, and fell asleep.


End file.
